A short story from Minsk [by Misha Vallejo]

This project, shot during Easter of 2014, tells the story of the everyday life of a young Belorussian couple: Ksusha & Egor. They live in Minsk in a cramped flat shared with Ksusha’s mother, Olga, and sister, Jenia. Their life does not have many highs or lows, instead, it is a consistent routine marked by a difficult financial situation and their young love and commitment to each other, within the context of their country’s economical and political situation.

They were generous enough to share their lives with me, and I experienced their routines first hand; their working weekdays and their evenings at home. Some days, especially weekends, they go out to friends’ houses, but not to cafes, restaurants or bars because they cannot afford it. During the last days of my stay, Ksusha was admitted to hospital for treatment of a skin disease.

This is a silent story of the themes I am interested in: the lost person, and the lost place. It is an inside portrayal which enables me to express my own opinions through the people who allowed me into their lives. It is also a microcosm of the economical and political condition of the country, where the financial situation for common people is tight, but the country’s leader continues to enjoy wide support and respect from the population.This series is our shared diary from the short time we spent together in Belarus.